1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of erecting a building ceiling in a structure with a floor plate and a circumferentially closed building wall erected on the floor plate, wherein a ceiling plate which is manufactured on the floor plate and whose circumferential contour is constructed so as to correspond to the inner contour of the building wall and together with a circumferentially closed and water-tight side wall forms a floating body, is allowed to float upwardly by filling water into the space defined by the inner side of the building wall and, after the ceiling height has been reached, the ceiling plate is connected to the building wall.
2. Description of the Related Art
A method of the above-described type is disclosed in DE 199 23 078 A1. In this known method, after the ceiling plate has reached its upper end position, a pressure medium is pumped into a hose which surrounds the ceiling plate in an inserted section so that this hose widens and makes clamping and sealing contact with the inner side of the building wall. Subsequently, the portion of the water column located above the expanded hose can be pumped off, and, due to the sealing action between the ceiling plate and the building wall, the ceiling plate is supported by the water column located underneath the ceiling plate. The reinforcing steel members which protrude upwardly from the upper edge of the wall are then bent inwardly and are connected to reinforcing steel members which are located in a recessed edge portion of the ceiling plate, and the recessed end portion is then filled with concrete.
This known method has the disadvantage of a relatively complicated and ineffective sealing action between the ceiling plate and the building wall in the upper end position of the ceiling plate produced by the expandable hose. Because of the uneven surface of the concrete, this sealing action is not completely possible so that water can penetrate. Moreover, the insert section which receives the hose is a relatively sensitive component and is subjected to contamination and/or damage resulting from the subsequent filling in of the concrete for the ceiling plates or also of the building wall.
A similar method is disclosed in EP 1 087 069 A2. However, in this case, the ceiling plate does not form part of a floating body; rather, the ceiling plate is sealed relative to the building wall from the outset and is pushed upwardly in the manner of a piston by means of a medium to which pressure is applied, such as water or air. Also in this case, for effecting a sealing action between the ceiling plate, a circumferentially expandable hose is used or a sealing lip which is secured against being bent upwardly.
Therefore, it is the primary object to provide an improved method of the above-described type.
In accordance with the present invention, an inwardly protruding, circumferential stop is provided at the building wall for limiting the upward flotation of the ceiling plate, wherein, in the upper end position of floatation of the ceiling plate, the ceiling plate or a circumferential part tightly connected to the ceiling plate is pressed against the stop, so that the ceiling plate or the circumferential part is sealed relative to the stop.
The circumferentially extending or circumferentially closed stop produces a very effective sealing action between the ceiling plate and the building wall, wherein the sealing system may be of particularly simple construction. In principle, it would be conceivable and possible to achieve such a sealing action by pressing two flat surfaces against each other. However, preferably a sealing member is arranged at the stop between the stop and the ceiling plate or the circumferential part and/or a sealing member is provided at the ceiling plate or at the circumferential part.
Moreover, in accordance with the method of the present invention, a certain contact pressure of the ceiling plate against the circumferential stop may be applied by providing the water body underneath the ceiling plate with a slight excess pressure. This makes it possible to absorb the subsequently introduced additional load of the connection concrete, without causing a lowering of the building ceiling. In the known methods, it was necessary for this purpose to place anchoring members in the outer edge of the concrete of the building wall and later to mount horizontal rails which protruded inwardly beyond the upper edge of the wall in order to produce the contact pressure; this required additional work steps.